Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to pay annual fees topping $550 to get the best travel credit card. If you don’t travel enough to use all the benefits that come with a top-tier card — or simply don’t have room in your budget to justify these fees each year — there are still plenty of no-annual-fee cards to choose from.
When it comes to hotel credit cards, the good news is that a no-annual-fee card can offer you more benefits than you might expect. From complimentary (or a pathway to) elite status to earning hotel points on your everyday purchases, you’ll only gain from owning these cards instead of worrying about outsizing the value from cards with no annual fees.
While the best hotel card for you will depend on which hotel chain you prefer, the best options of the bunch are the Marriott Bonvoy Bold Credit Card and the Hilton Honors American Express Card. Both brands are widely prevalent, meaning you have more opportunities to earn and redeem points at properties worldwide.
The best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
The information for the Best Western Mastercard has been collected independently by The Points Guy. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer.
Comparing the best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
| Card | Rewards rate | Intro bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Marriott Bonvoy Bold | 3 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases | Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first six months from account opening; plus earn an additional 50,000 bonus points after you stay six eligible paid nights at Marriott Bonvoy through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends Aug. 10. |
| Hilton Honors American Express Card | 7 points per dollar on eligible purchases directly with hotels and resorts in the Hilton portfolio, 5 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and at U.S. gas stations and 3 point per dollar on other eligible purchases. | Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership. |
| IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card | 5 points per dollar at IHG Hotels & Resorts, 3 points per dollar on utilities, internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services, gas station and restaurant purchases and 2 points per dollar on everything else. | Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening and up to $50 in IHG statement credits on purchases at IHG Hotels & Resorts during the first 12 months from account opening. |
| Choice Privileges Mastercard | 5 points per dollar at eligible Choice Hotels, 3 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and phone plan services, and 1 point per dollar on everything else. | Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases within three months of card membership. |
| Best Western Rewards Mastercard | 13 points per dollar on Best Western purchases and 2 points per dollar on everything else. | Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 within the first three months after account opening. |
| Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card | 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases | Earn a bonus of 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 within the first three months from account opening. |
The best no-annual-fee hotel credit cards
Marriott Bonvoy Bold Card: Best card for Marriott
Current sign-up bonus: Earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $1,000 on purchases in your first six months from account opening; plus earn an additional 50,000 bonus points after staying six eligible paid nights at Marriott Bonvoy hotels through Jan. 31, 2024. Offer ends Aug. 10.
Rewards rate: Earn 3 points per dollar at participating Marriott Bonvoy hotels, 2 points per dollar on other travel purchases and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Other benefits: You’ll become an automatic Silver Elite member as a cardholder, which gets you perks such as priority late checkout and 10% bonus points on stays. Therefore, you’ll have the ability to earn up to 14 points per dollar on eligible Marriott stays (3 points per dollar with this card, 10 points per dollar for being a Marriott Bonvoy member and 1 point per dollar for Silver Elite). Plus, earn 2 points per dollar on all travel purchases.
You’ll also have the opportunity to improve your elite status the more you stay with Marriott. This card comes with an impressive number of travel and purchase protections, including baggage loss and delay insurance and more. To top it all off, there’s no annual fee (and no foreign transaction fees).
Analysis: As you build up your credit card portfolio, you’ll eventually want to have a card that earns transferable points, along with an airline card and a hotel card. If Marriott is your hotel chain of choice (we don’t blame you since there are more than 7,000 properties worldwide), the Bold is the perfect place to start. With a complimentary jump-start to Silver Elite status, the possibilities of reaching higher tiers of Marriott elite status are endless.
Reward your inbox with the TPG Daily newsletter
Join over 700,000 readers for breaking news, in-depth guides and exclusive deals from TPG’s experts.
Further reading: Marriott Bonvoy Bold card review
Apply here: Marriott Bonvoy Bold
Hilton Honors American Express Card: Best card for Hilton
Current welcome offer: Earn 80,000 Hilton Honors bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases on the card within your first three months of card membership
Rewards rate: Earn 7 points per dollar on eligible Hilton hotel and resorts purchases, 5 points per dollar at U.S. restaurants, U.S. supermarkets and U.S. gas stations, plus 3 point per dollar on other eligible purchases.
Other benefits: It’s not often that a no-annual-fee card (see rates & fees) provides you with as many perks as the Hilton Honors Amex card does. For starters, enjoy complimentary Silver Elite status to get 20% bonus points on stays and a fifth free night benefit. In addition to a lucrative rewards rate on Hilton and everyday purchases, you’ll have secondary rental car coverage and no foreign transaction fees (see rates & fees).
Analysis: The Hilton Honors Amex proves you don’t have to pay an annual fee to get top-notch perks. Its welcome bonus offers a healthy stash of Hilton Honors points and ample ways to continue earning on your everyday spending. We recommend this card for those who enjoy staying at Hilton properties but want to keep costs as low as possible.
Further reading: Hilton Honors American Express card review
Apply here: Hilton Honors American Express
IHG One Rewards Traveler Credit Card: Best no-annual-fee card for IHG Hotels
Current sign-up bonus: Earn 80,000 bonus points after you spend $2,000 in purchases in the first three months of account opening and up to $50 in IHG statement credits on purchases at IHG Hotels and Resorts during the first 12 months from account opening.
Rewards rate: 5 points per dollar at IHG Hotels & Resorts, 3 points per dollar on utilities, internet, cable, phone services and select streaming services, gas station and restaurant purchases and 2 points per dollar on everything else.
Other benefits: This hotel card comes with the unique benefit of a fourth-night reward, meaning you’ll pay the price of three nights to stay for a total of four nights. Plus, you’ll get a 20% discount on points purchases when you pay for those points with your card.
Analysis: By being strategic with this card, you can get a ton of value without ever paying an annual fee.
Further reading: IHG One Rewards Traveler card review
Apply here: IHG One Rewards Traveler card
Choice Privileges Mastercard: Best for Choice Hotels
Current bonus: Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 in purchases within the first three months of card membership.
Rewards rate: 5 points per dollar at eligible Choice Hotels, 3 points per dollar at gas stations, grocery stores, home improvement stores and on phone plan services and 1 point per dollar on everything else.
Other benefits: You’ll get automatic Gold Elite status, which unlocks benefits such as an elite welcome gift, early check-in and late checkout. You’ll also get up to $800 of cellphone protection against damage or theft when you pay your monthly bill with this card (subject to a $25 deductible) as well as Mastercard World Elite benefits.
Analysis: Being a Choice Hotels elite member will enhance your hotel experience, and with this card, you’ll be granted this status for free. While not the most lucrative no-annual-fee hotel card out there, this card offers simplicity — a reason to keep it in your wallet each year with the opportunity to earn anniversary points.
Further reading: 2 new Choice Privileges credit cards are now open to new applicants
Apply here: Choice Privileges Mastercard
Best Western Rewards Mastercard: Best for Best Western
Current bonus: Earn 40,000 bonus points after you spend $1,000 within the first three billing cycles after account opening.
Rewards rate: 13 points per dollar on Best Western purchases and 2 points per dollar on everything else.
Other benefits: With this card, you’ll enjoy no foreign transaction fees, exclusive member room rates and complimentary Gold status, which guarantees you 10% bonus points for your eligible stays and early check-in and late checkout.
Analysis: For a card with no annual fee, those who stay at Best Western properties regularly can get considerable value from the welcome bonus and ongoing Gold elite status.
Further reading: Your ultimate guide to Best Western Rewards
Capital One VentureOne Rewards Card: Best for all hotels
Current bonus: Earn a bonus of 20,000 bonus miles once you spend $500 within the first three months from account opening.
Other benefits: While the hotel cards above can get you elite perks or other exclusive benefits, sometimes limiting yourself to one brand doesn’t make sense. That’s why the VentureOne is our favorite for all hotel stays, as it offers a simple earning scheme (unlimited 1.25 miles per dollar on all purchases) plus an even simpler way to redeem. You can redeem your miles at 1 cent each for any hotel (or other travel) charges on your card. If you’re an advanced award traveler, you’ll be happy to know that you can transfer your Capital One miles to airline and hotel partners like Air Canada Aeroplan and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer to find even more potential value.
Analysis: We like the flexibility that the VentureOne offers. You won’t get hotel elite status with this card, but you can use this card to pay for hotels from any brand. If all you’re looking for is a way to earn and redeem your travel rewards, this is a good card for you. Plus, with no foreign transaction fees, you can take the VentureOne with you anywhere.
Further reading: Capital One VentureOne review
Apply here: Capital One VentureOne
Bottom line
Almost all of the no-annual-fee hotel cards in this guide get you automatic elite status, plus a pathway to the next level for even better benefits. The best pick for you will first depend on the hotel chain you prefer, but take a deeper look at the ongoing rewards rate and any additional benefits you can get from the card (such as no foreign transaction fees or any travel and purchase protections).
And remember: Since you’re not paying an annual fee on any of these cards, you won’t have to worry about if you’re stretching enough value to justify the cost each year.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson.
For rates and fees of the Hilton Amex card, click here.
Source: thepointsguy.com